Kobold Press Walks the Plank With New “Pirates & Plunder” Kickstarter

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Kobold Press is ready to weigh anchor and hoist the Black Flag over their latest TTRPG supplement. Entitled Campaign Builder: Pirates & Plunder, the book is compatible with both D&D 5E and Tales of the Valiant and, as the name suggests, is all about adding a little high-seas havoc to your next campaign.

Crowdfunding for the supplement is running from now until May 15th on Kickstarter and has already sailed well past its initial funding goal. Below, we take a closer look at what happens when Kobold Press adds a little sorcery, scurvy and swashbuckling to 5E.

What is Campaign Builder: Pirates & Plunder about?

Pirates & Plunder is the latest in Kobold Press’ Campaign Builder series (with past releases including Castles & Crowns, Dungeons & Ruins and Cities & Towns). The idea of these supplements is to provide a framework for how to create a complete campaign built around a specific theme, rather than just dropping in a ton of lore and setting information.

Notably, Campaign Builders are also designed to feature content that’s geared towards both Game Masters and Players in one complete book, and cover everything from new subclasses and heritages to spells, NPCs, locations and GM advice.

For Pirates & Plunder the goal is to provide players and GMs with the mechanical and narrative framework needed for maritime adventures. This includes rules for how to handle gunpowder, ship-to-ship combat and the unique perils of the ocean.

Like other entries in the Campaign Builder series, the content is also designed to be dropped into any existing D&D 5E or Tales of the Valiant setting with minimal work required. If you’re interested in running a pirate or nautical-themed campaign, the idea is the book will give you everything you need to get up and running quickly.

Player Options

For players, the book includes:

• 8 Subclasses: Standouts include the Shanty Bard, the Gunmage Sorcerer, the Privateer Fighter, and the Seaborn Witch.
• 3 Lineages: Players can opt for the shark-like Sea Dragonborn, the agile and versatile Ratfolk and the Deep Ones (beings born in dark underwater trenches).
• Heritages & Backgrounds: New heritages like the Seafarer and Deep Folk provide options for characters born on or under the waves, while new backgrounds like the Merchant Mariner or Treasure Hunter offer the ability to craft backstories that can easily be slotted into a nautical or pirate-themed campaigns.
• New Spells & Rituals: The book includes a range of nautical magic designed specifically to combat sea monsters and navigate treacherous waters.

Game Master Options

For GMs, the book includes:

• Black Powder & Burst Mechanics: A robust set of rules for pistols and rifles. The new Burst mechanic also allows firearms to potentially deliver massive amounts of damage, making high-risk combat even more rewarding.
• Shipwreck Escape Rules: A chase-like mechanic that turns a sinking vessel into a race against time as players battle water, flames and hungry sharks.
• Expanded Ship Combat: A refined system that incorporates vessel upgrades, magical accessories and a variety of naval weaponry.
• World Building Tools: Includes five Infamous Pirate Lords, 20 Legendary Islands (ranging from the Isle of the Dead to the Mechadron Lighthouse) and an Infamy System to track your crew’s reputation on the high seas.
• Treasure Map Generator: Random tables to help GMs create authentic treasure maps on the fly.

What are the backer options for Pirates & Plunder?

The primary draw of the Kickstarter is the Campaign Builder: Pirates & Plunder sourcebook (which is available with a limited edition alternate cover and a leatherbound edition). The campaign, however, also includes a tie-in Map Folio, a Captain’s Logbook (to track details for ships and crews) and VTT assets. Backer options (and rough prices in USD) are as follows:

• Pirates & Plunder PDF ($25 USD): The complete Pirates & Plunder book as a PDF.
• Double Digital ($40 USD): Includes the PDF and a high-resolution JPG Map Pack for use with VTTs.
• Hardcover + PDF ($50 USD): The physical hardcover book, plus PDF.
• Hardcover + Map Folio Bundle ($100 USD): The physical core book and the Map Folio (which contains 10 poster-sized, wet/dry erase battle maps).
• Limited Edition Hardcover ($100 – $130 USD): A two-color foil edition with custom endpapers and ribbon bookmarks.
• Handbound Leather Edition ($580 USD): A blue top-grain leather volume with gold leaf embossing and hand-marbled endpapers. This tier also includes the Map Folio, three Captain’s Logbooks and a Shard VTT license.

Why we’re excited about Pirates & Plunder

• A new entry in an amazing series: Kobold Press’ Campaign Builder series is absolutely brilliant, offering a ton of player and GM content without being overly prescriptive, so it’s great to see the series live on.
• New nautical rules: Updated mechanics for ship-to-ship combat, exploration and escaping sinking vessels, all sounds incredibly useful and something we haven’t really seen from Kobold Press or other 5E supplements before.
• A solid swasbuckling theme: While there has been a fair bit of pirate-themed TTRPGs lately (including 7th Sea, Pirate Borg and Void Sea), it’s still a cool concept and has plenty of life left in it.
• High-end art and design: Kobold Press is definitely one of the best in the business when it comes to the TTRPG artwork, writing and design, and from what we’ve seen so far, the book looks incredible.

Final thoughts

Nautical TTRPG campaigns are notoriously difficult to run without a solid foundation, and Pirates & Plunder looks like it provides exactly that, offering enough mechanical and narrative booty to keep players and GMs sailing the high seas for years. Will have to wait and see, however, if X really does mark the spot when it comes to his new supplement.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on the new Campaign Builder in the days ahead. In the meantime you can back Pirates & Plunder from now until May 15th, 2026 on Kickstarter.